My Passion

A school group visits the site (photo by John Cardinal)

Hey folks,

      I’m Gary Thompson, one of the fifteen college students presently working on the Fort St. Joseph archaeological site in Niles, Michigan. More specifically, I’m a non-traditional anthropology major at WMU with a particular interest in past Native American cultures and their initial interactions with Europeans along the St. Joseph River. As a young man growing up in south-west Michigan, my father and I would sometimes find arrowheads resting on the surface of my grandfather’s farm fields.  When this occurred, my father would always stimulate my imagination by postulating the possible histories of these objects­, “if only they could talk,” he would say to me. So not surprisingly, I grew up daydreaming about history and possibly becoming an archaeologist.  Well, I’m not a kid anymore, and I’ve finally gotten around to becoming an archaeologist; it’s my passion, you see.

Luke and I screening our soil. (photo by John Cardinal)

      So, like I mentioned, we are currently doing excavations in Niles, Michigan. As a group, we started out on Monday by setting up our equipment in a beautiful wooded area overlooking the St. Joseph River, a great habitation area by any standards. Everything went smoothly setting up the site, so by Tuesday morning my pit partner Luke and I were finally scraping and screening soil about fifteen meters away from the water’s edge. After all these years of college, I finally had a trowel in my hand, I reflected. Within a couple hours of work, Luke and I had our 1x1 meter unit several centimeters below grade level. We were encountering a mix of broken glass, 22 caliber shell casings, and small flakes of chert, not to mention a never ending supply of tree roots. Things were going great, and both Luke and I were grinning like two little kids on a field trip. It doesn’t get any better than this; I called to Luke, who smilingly agreed while screening dirt under our tetrapod. This turned out to be an ironic statement, however, because in the very next bucket of dirt we screened out a small arrowhead. For me, this was totally unexpected and somewhat surreal.  In fact, it evoked a nostalgic feeling of being a kid on my grandfather’s farm, finding an arrow head, and wondering what it would tell me if it could talk. That’s the thing you see, I want to give voice to the artifacts we uncover; I want to help tell their/the story. This is my passion.

-Gary

     

A madison point found in our first level! (photo by John Cardinal)

Connecting to the Past

               Hello all! My name is Amelia Harp, and I am a first year graduate student majoring in Anthropology down at Georgia State University. This field school marks my fourth archaeological field experience, and my second dig at Fort St. Joseph. I participated in a week-long summer camp at the site back in 2011, and ever since, I haven’t been able to get the fort out of my mind! What most interests me about the site is its history of interconnectedness. Hundreds of years ago, the French and Native American peoples in the area intermingled in this unique community, exchanging things both tangible and intangible: furs as well as different ideas, traditions, worldviews, and so much more. Such collaboration at Fort St. Joseph continues to this day, in more ways than you would expect!

               Today was a chilly one compared to yesterday, but despite this, we accomplished quite a bit at the Lyne site! This morning, we finished laying out our 1-by-1-meter units. All of the stakes were in, and once we finished tying up string to outline each unit, we measured the starting elevations in the center and each of the four corners. This was done to establish a “starting point” for our excavation. By measuring how far above or below the ground level was in relation to our datum point (the southwest corner of a unit), we were able to determine how deep we needed to dig in order to form flat, uniform, 5-centimeter levels.

               Before any of our trowels or shovels broke ground, however, we stopped to observe a short, but very important ceremony. Seth Allard, of Ojibwe descent, smudged each and every one of us with the smoke of smoldering sage. Then, he came around and had us each take a pinch of tobacco, and instructed us to go to any point in the site for a private moment in which we dropped our tobacco. These rituals were done to purify us for our task at hand, and to acknowledge and give thanks for what we will be taking from the earth during our excavations. I am familiar with this ceremony, as I learned about and previously experienced them among my tribe, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi. It would be an understatement to say I was pleasantly surprised to see those same rituals included in the beginnings of our field work! It makes me all the more proud to be involved with this project, knowing that we (Native Americans) are as very much a part of this site today as we were centuries ago.

Seth Allard prepares sage for a pre-excavation smudging.

                 The second time I came face-to-face with the Native reality of this area came much later in the day. After some excavation (with some interesting finds!) and dinner, Dr. Nassaney took us all out to visit a site of interest just down the road. Among houses and churches, there was a grassy lot on a street corner with a couple big trees, a historic marker, and a few unusual little hills. These were the Sumnerville Mounds, dating back to the Hopewellian culture of the first few centuries A.D. To be sure, they are nowhere near as marked as the Etowah Indian Mounds back in Georgia – in fact, as this corner of the city was being built up by early Niles founders and residents, other mounds in the area were destroyed! Fortunately, those mounds we saw at that grassy little corner have been preserved, with minimal archaeological disturbance, for future generations to visit and learn about.

                As an anthropologist and a Potawatomi woman, I cannot describe how happy it makes me to see Native perspectives and traditions being taken into such careful consideration when working with sites like Fort St. Joseph. It makes me proud to be involved with this project, and I cannot wait to see what more we can learn about the Native Americans that called Fort St. Joseph and the surrounding area their home.

-Amelia

First Day of the 2015 Field Season

                Hi there, my name is Genevieve Perry and I am going into my second year of college at Western Michigan University. I am majoring in Anthropology and have found a special interest in learning about archaeology and the science behind the field. I chose to apply to be a part of the Fort St. Joseph project because my first archaeology class with archaeology professor and head of the project, Dr. Nassaney, opened my eyes to the truth behind archaeology in that the point is not to find artifacts and exploit them or become Indiana Jones, but to learn from the things that are found in order to unravel the past and learn from people that lived hundreds or even thousands of years before us. Can you imagine the life lead by those who walked the earth that long ago? Because of archaeology, we no longer have to guess. The project, although still new in its season, has proven to be a success in my eyes already. Just in the first week of the course I’ve learned more about French and Native interactions and the process of the fur trade that took place in Niles, MI than I ever thought possible and I’m sure I have a great deal more to learn.

WMU students taking their skills into the field.  (photo by John Cardinal)

                We arrived in Niles today, bright and early, to be welcomed with smiling face and open arms from Fort St. Joseph Museum Director Carol Bainbridge. She helped us while we got our equipment for the field and packed up our trailers to get started on this long adventure. It is an honor that our team of Western students and staff has such great support from the community and the leadership of the city of Niles. Shortly after parting from Mrs. Bainbridge, our team headed out to the Lyne site, an archaeology site up on a terrace a short distance from Fort St. Joseph that has shown integrity due to past 18^th century finds in the area. In our first week of excavation we will be working at the Lyne site in hopes to find more evidence of past activity. After our first week, we will move our crew down to the flood plain and continue our search for the architecture of Fort St. Joseph.

Special thanks to Alex Brand for stopping by and helping with site logistics.  (photo John Cardinal

                Today our Western team prepared for excavation at the Lyne site. Contrary to my inexperienced archaeologist brain, there is a lot of work to be done before we are able to break ground. I know our whole group was bubbling with anticipation to start exploring history.  We took our equipment and cleared the area of the Lyne site after a long two years of overgrowth. We even managed to clear a path down to the flood plain and feast our eyes on the natural beauty of the St. Joseph River and the undisturbed land. The river flows gorgeously along the site; I can’t imagine being any luckier to have a more breathtaking scene in front of us as we journey on. It’s a wonder that there are so many fascinating things to be learned beneath this soil. Choosing just one area in which each group is to examine and excavate is a difficult task put upon the more knowledgeable staff, but I am confident that our team is the very best. This week will be filled with new discoveries along with the excitement of making mistakes and knowing how to become the best archaeologists we can.

               After our long day in the sun, we headed to the Morris Farm which will be our living quarters for the duration of our excavation in Niles. Our generous host Stephanie Layman opens her home to Western students each year in her support of the Fort St. Joseph Project. Stephanie’s farm is a masterpiece with acres of grass and an unbelievable view of the lands that Niles has to offer. After taking in this wonderful view, we set up in our rooms and focused our minds on the benefits and challenges we may face while living in this learning community. I think I can speak for the entire Western archaeology team when I say that we are ready and excited to help the community of Niles learn more about its past. Again, the archaeology students and staff are beyond fortunate to have had and continue to have the support that we do from every aspect of the Niles community. I am sending a big ‘thank you’ from WMU to all Niles residents and supporters because we couldn’t have made any of this happen without you!

Building Architectural Hardware at Fort St. Joseph

Greetings everyone,

My name is Stephen and I major in Anthropology and Spanish at Western Michigan University. I began the “Anthropology in the Community" course here at WMU back in January this year. Since learning about ways to engage the community with anthropology, I've done considerable amounts of studying for this purpose. The topic I chose to focus on in this course is artifacts from architectural hardware found on the site of Fort. St. Joseph. What artifacts have we found? Where did they come from? Historic research and archaeology is bearing that out for us.

The French settlers in the region built their homes using familiar techniques. Their houses consisted largely of wooden posts stuck in the ground or stone foundations as a perimeter. The spaces between the posts were filled with stone and mortar, called pierrotage, to finish the walls. A mixture of clay and straw, bousillage, filled the gaps in framing to insulate and protect the wood from decay. Traces of this mixture have been found at Fort St. Joseph. 

Bousiallage was made on site and there is plenty uncovered at the fort.

Window glass has also been uncovered at the site. Archaeologists know the glass found is window glass because they can distinguish flat window glass from curved container glass. The windows used at fort St. Joseph were not made at the fort, but in Britain or France and transported across the Atlantic and then through a long trade network of canoes. The glass was shipped in small panels to avoid breakage en route.

The widespread use of metals in architecture at Fort St. Joseph is shown by the noticeably high frequency of hand-wrought nails that have been recovered.

Hand-wrought nails are four sided and taper toward the tip.

Besides the high frequency of hand-wrought nails, other types of metal artifacts have been found in smaller numbers. Door hinges found on the site were used to secure doors onto frames so they could open and close.  Pintles were a device on which the hinge of a door pivots and escutcheons were plates used to cover keyholes. Hook and eye latches were simple hooks that were fastened onto doors or window shutters and latched onto metal rings in the frame to keep the door or shutter closed. Finally, door latch catches were fastened to frames so that the latch bar of the door stayed shut.

All of the architectural hardware found on the site tells us how the inhabitants built their homes, what they used in them, and where those things came from. After a semester of Anthropology in the Community, I obtained a greater understanding of what’s going on at Fort St. Joseph and much will be learned soon by the community at large!

Stephen Staten

Military Structures

Hello everyone, my name is Devon and I am another student in the Anthropology in the Community course held by Dr. Michael Nassaney at Western Michigan University. This semester has been a new experience for me. My minor in anthropology has never taken me to the lengths that this course has. It has been an informative semester and awesome experience for me to be a part of this research into the forts of the Great Lakes region. I never knew much about the French influence in North America, nonetheless how prominent and influential the forts they built were to the region.

My topic and contribution to this project was the architecture of military structures. The forts of New France and the Great Lakes region were multi-purpose structures that were essential to the purpose of the French Fur Trade also having military functions. Fort design, which is highlighted by my partner Joe Puntasecca’s post on fortifications, was essential to the military function of these forts. The fortified wall and bastion system was pivotal in the defense of these French posts.

Another defining military feature of the forts were the barracks that housed a garrison of soldiers. Based on my research, the amount of soldiers found at forts varied from site to site and numbers estimate anywhere from 20 soldiers, which we know was the approximate number housed at Fort St. Joseph, to upwards of hundreds. My research on military structures brought me to information on Fort de Chartres located in Illinois. Fort de Chartres has been described as one of the more prominent military forts in New France and was a great reference point for me to be able to divulge this topic. The barracks here are described as being built in rows and side by side, with each row measuring approximately 128 ft. long. Officers and soldiers had separate rooms measuring 22’X22’ with small passages between them. The barracks also contained lofts used for storage of weapons and supplies.

Barracks reconstruction at Ft. Massac in Illinois

Storage of gun powder used for artillery was stored in a powder magazine. The powder magazine at Fort de Chartres measured 38’ long and 13’ high. Its walls are estimated to be 4’ thick and was rounded at the top to support an arched vault. The floor was made of stone that sat below the surface of the ground and cement was used to cover the walls. It was important that this structure be heavily built in order to secure the essential goods of defense from any sort of attack. The powder magazine was typically placed on the opposite side of the fort away from the barracks and commanders house, for reasons of safety.

Powder Magazine at Ft. Massac (reconstruction)

Archaeological excavations at Fort St. Joseph have yet to find evidence of these military structures. We know that Fort St. Joseph was probably not as large as Fort de Chartres, but by using information found at other French forts across the area, we are given a great reference point as to what may have existed at the fort in Niles. As I said it has been an exciting and unique opportunity to be a part of this project and add to the workings of this amazing project that has brought so much pride and excitement to the city of Niles, Michigan.

Sincerely

Devon Yurko

Special Purpose Structures: Places of Rituals and Daily Practices

The history of Fort St. Joseph has changed my view of what archaeology means. Archaeology is not just telling the history of events that happened hundreds of miles away in various continents. Discovery can happen anywhere! Fort St. Joseph allows us to explore archaeology right here in Michigan! My name is Lakenia Payne and I am an undergraduate at Western Michigan University minoring in Anthropology. I have taken other courses in this field but none as insightful as Anthropology in the Community. This course offers a hands-on approach rather than just learning about history and culture. Initially, the focus was on enhancing our knowledge of New France in the 18th century. Now were able to apply this information to our research. 

My research partner, Adrienne, and I are exploring the architecture of special purpose buildings at Fort St. Joseph. I find myself more and more captivated by 18th century history and culture. We plan to examine the ritual practices and special purpose structures of the Native Americans and French.  Our research includes information on wigwams, tents, sweat lodges, and churches. Evidence from Fort Michilimackinac (Mackinac Island) and Pontchartrain (Detroit) has helped guide our research. For an example, at Fort Michilimackinac there is a reconstructed church built on the site. In addition, at Fort St. Joseph we have found evidence of a few religious artifacts such as pendants and metal crosses. These two sites are in close proximity, so it may suggest that there was a place of worship at Fort St. Joseph.

Through research, I have discovered that Fort St. Joseph was a major 18th century fur trading post in New France. Voyageurs journeyed from Montreal to partake in the trade. Lakes and rivers acted as a fur trade highway in the Great Lakes region.  They traveled in heavily laden birch bark canoes carrying goods including metals and clothing. These good were exchanged with the Native people for furs. Voyageurs would travel for miles and days in an attempt to reach Fort St. Joseph. While on their journey, they stayed in wedge style tents. These temporary structures played a small but significant role during in the trading era. Tents acted as a defense against the rainy and snowy seasons. A standard wedge tent was fitting for the task because of its durability. Voyageurs would often sleep inside of the canoes and use tents to cover the top of the boat. On land, to position the tent, three larges poles are placed inside to form the frame. Thirteen pegs are then nailed into ground. The wedge style tents stood 7 feet in height.

In American history, I rarely hear about the Native American people. We decided to examine some of the rituals and practices of the Native people in the surrounding areas. I discovered, solely through research, that the indigenous people have used sweat lodges for centuries! The Native Americans used these as a ceremonial ritual for purification. The evidence found at the Schilling site in Kalamazoo, Michigan supports this notion. The structure of sweat lodges was made using saplings and skin coverings. Water was poured onto hot stones to create vapors. The native people believe this ritual gave them both a spiritual and emotional awakening.

Possible remains of a Native American sweat lodge at the Schilling site. Image from the Midcontinental Journal of ArchaeologyVol. 13, No. 1, published by The Kent State University Press (1988).

It’s incredible how the people in the community of Niles are so open to learning about the history. The research we are conducting will further progress the community’s knowledge. This site is important because it lets people get a first look at anthropology in the community. As we dig into more information, we gain a better understanding of the rituals and daily practices of those who inhabited Fort St. Joseph. By examining the structures and the correlating artifacts found on the sites, we can directly impact the legacy at Fort St. Joseph!

Sincerely,

Lakenia Payne

Fortifications in New France

For me, the most visually striking feature of any fort is its fortifications. When looking at the architecture of Fort St. Joseph I found myself drawn to this topic because of that. Fort St. Joseph didn't have cannons, there was a garrison that was stationed there but it’s not primarily a military fort. What then might these fortifications have looked like? I find myself more and more intrigued by this question over the semester because I have been finding links between fortifications and the functions of forts.

The design of French fortifications in the colony of New France we influenced heavily and modified from Sebastien Le Preste de Vauban, a French military engineer who designed fortifications in France and Europe. The designs was taken to the New World by French settlers and adapted by using local resources and landscapes such as the abundant lumber supply and proximity to rivers. One aspect his design was the bastion which are on the corners of fortifications and used for either artillery or for troops to fire upon the outside of the palisade or stockade wall. This defensive focus allows the fort to be easily defended by a smaller number of soldiers.

Part of the Plan for a Vauban Bastioned fortification. Notice the hexagonal shape.

In New France fortifications are constructed for a variety of reasons. Forts had the ability to be places of trade, religion, communication and government. These functions are not mutually exclusive, as we know Fort St. Joseph was a place of trade, military, as well as also being a mission. The French built their fortifications all around North America as a way to prevent land claims by the English. Once built these forts would have supported themselves through trade networks.

Perhaps the largest symbol of a fortification is the palisade wall. These are typically constructed around the perimeter of the fort. Evidence from sites like Fort Massac in Illinois and Fort Michilimackinac in Michigan help us get an idea of how palisades were constructed. Evidence supports palisades being made of wooden materials like cedar, and having two doors on opposite ends (North and South) of the palisade. The walls at Massac are said to be 20 feet high while Michilimackinac’s are 12 feet. These forts are also built more resembling a square showing another modification to Vauban’s design. This could have made it easier to build with fewer resources and time.

Detail map by a military engineer of Fort Massac in Illinois.

Since we have not found any evidence archaeologically about the fortifications of Fort St. Joseph we only have historical sources to use. While the account from Charlevoix detailing the ‘poor’ quality of the palisade at Fort St. Joseph has been challenged, there are other stories that support this idea. One of these is an Iroquois raid where their guns were able to be placed between gaps in the palisade wall. The lack of defense in this situation can support the idea that perhaps there were no bastions at Fort St. Joseph, and that individual logs in the palisade wall are actually spread apart.

I would love to leave the post with a detail map of the Fort or a picture, but it would be wrong. It is not that we can’t know what the Fort looked like, but archaeological evidence will really help us understand the fortifications of Fort St. Joseph. It most likely wasn’t pristine and picturesque like an artists’ rendition, but it would have had character just like the people who lived and traded there.

Sincerely,

Joe Puntasecca